Hydrogen Evolution Behavior during Tensile Deformation in Austenitic Stainless Steels Exposed to High Compressed Hydrogen Atmospheres

Hydrogen embrittlement sensitivity of austenitic stainless steels, SUS316L and SUS310S exposed to high compressed hydrogen gas atmospheres was evaluated by means of a slow strain rate testing (SSRT) in air. Hydrogen evolution behavior during tensile deformation and fracture was also investigated by using a testing machine equipped with a quadrupole mass spectrometer installed in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber. When the SUS 316L specimen with hydrogen gas charging were deformed at a very slow crosshead speed of 1.67 nm/s, local deformation was promoted as compared to the specimen without hydrogen gas charging. On the other hand, no decrease of the ductility was observed in the SUS310S specimen with hydrogen gas charging even in the SSRT. In the hydrogen charged SUS316L specimen, the amount of continuous hydrogen evolution throughout deformation was much higher than that in the specimen without hydrogen gas charging. In addition, sudden hydrogen evolutions were sometimes identified in the SUS316L specimen with hydrogen gas charging during the deformation.